‘Maybe if you took the toothpaste raw’: Dental assistant says whitening toothpaste is a ‘scam’

Can toothpaste whiten teeth? That’s what toothpaste brands have been peddling since the 1980s. Some brands even advertise giving a “visibly brighter smile in three days” and help “achieve your whitest smile.”

But dentist Dr. Brady Smith (@drbradysmith) says that whitening toothpaste doesn’t whiten teeth and is all a "scam."

“I don’t know if it’s the biggest scam in dentistry. It’s definitely my favorite scam in the industry,” he says in a viral TikTok. “Because it fills me with pleasure to tell patients that whitening toothpaste cannot and will not whiten your teeth.”

However, he says there is a chance of whitening your teeth if you use the product creatively. “Maybe if you took the toothpaste raw and... you left it there for, like, four days, maybe,” he states.

Do whitening toothpastes really not whiten teeth?

So, why do toothpaste companies do this? “Money because they can put, like, a single drop of hydrogen peroxide into a tube of toothpaste, claim it’s whitening toothpaste, and sell it to us."

"We’ll buy it because it’s cheaper than anything else,” the content creator says.

Smith elaborates on how teeth are whitened. “Whitening is a measure of time or exposure and dosage of the whitening agent. Some of them come in, like, 35% hydrogen peroxide,” he states. “The lower the percentage is, the longer the exposure gets the desired effect. The higher the percentage is, the less time you have to expose your teeth to get the desired effect.”

Overall, toothpaste has the lowest exposure with the lowest dosage, according to the dentist. “So low, that some have suggested it doesn't actually work and by some, it’s me,” he says. “So, if you thought tooth whitening toothpaste works, hope you learned something today.”

The Daily Dot reached out to Smith via Instagram direct message and TikTok comment. The video amassed 1.6 million views and viewers had different opinions in the comments section.

Viewers chime in

“Okay but you can pry my Opalescence Whitening Toothpaste from my cold dead hands I begged my dentist to carry it in our office for the employee discount love it so much,” one viewer wrote.

“For my masters degree, I used an electron microscope to compare toothpastes. Some whitening ones are more abrasive so they do whiten by removing the stained outer layer,” a second commented.

“I’ve been telling people this for years. Additionally you don’t need that big swoop of toothpaste they advertise on a toothbrush. Lol,” a third stated.

“At some point we gotta use common sense bc I never once believed toothpaste could whiten teeth lol,” a fourth remarked.

Can toothpaste whiten teeth?

Toothpaste can’t literally change the color of your natural teeth. As 123dentist.com notes: "Those who have noticeable stains from soda, coffee, or cigarettes can expect visible changes with regular use of a quality whitening toothpaste." That's because this toothpaste contains a mild abrasive that can remove stains and polish teeth. Nevertheless, if you want whiter teeth, consult your dentist since they have higher-grade tools.

@drbradysmith

Big toothpaste doesnt want you to hear this.

♬ original sound - Drbrady

What about Opalescence Whitening Toothpaste?

The same thing applies. The toothpaste removes surface stains using hydrated silica that can create a brighter smile. “Both Opalescence Whitening Toothpaste formulas feature a quality tri-silica blend that works to actively, yet gently, remove surface stains. The low RDA (Relative Dentin Abrasion) factor of 90 means that it can become your daily toothpaste for life,” per Opalescence.

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